So you have discovered that your western riding prospect that you have just purchased does not want to be a western rider. Now what?

Well, if you are Reid Thomas of Thomas Performance Horses, you are not the least bit discouraged. You just look for another event and then win the world a few months later.

Reid is talking about Chippen In Style. This was Chippen In Style's first trip to the World Show but the big sorrel gelding made an impression his first time here by taking home the World Championship in Senior Hunter Hack. And it was the trainers that made all the difference.

Ryan Painter and Chippen In Style

Reid Thomas is a new fresh face and up-and-coming trainer from Corpus Christi, Texas. And he can sure recognize the talent in a horse.

"We had Chips Private Stars in training and we liked her so well we went and bought her full brother, Chippen In Style, affecionately known as Hercky (short for Hercules). "We were looking for a back up trail and western riding horse. But Hercky was a lot more forward than his full sister and has a fairly big motor." So Reid got thinking that maybe Hercky would like the over fences classes. He ran the idea past trainer Ryan Painter, a well known hunter trainer from Sun City California. Ryan liked the idea too and Hercky got his first chance to take a fence at the Sun Circuit in Arizona.

"I took a couple of fences with him and felt that he would make a great hunter hack horse. He really seemed to like it", said Painter.

Chippen In Style - And Ryan Painter - World Champions

"When we got back home to Corpus we send him to a hunter jumper barn that is real close to us and they really liked him too", explained Reid. "He quickly become their favorite horse in the barn. So we took him over there every second week for some schooling on the jumps."

It wasn't long before Hercky was ready for the hunter hack classes. "We got Jerry Erickson to help us get him qualified", said Reid. Ryan showed Hercky at the Congress and he was 3rd in the Green Working Hunter there, picking up some much needed experience. Then on to the world show.

The big sorrel gelding was the stand out in the pen in the Senior Hunter Hack and brought home his first World Championship. "You just have to find their niche," says Reid, "and I guess this is his."

Reid Thomas operates Thomas Performance Horses in Corpus Christie Texas along with assistant trainer Blake Weiss. According to Reid the chief ingredient in a successful horse and rider team isn't so much the ability of the horse and rider, but matching their personalities and talents. Over the last few years Reid has been proving this theory with many of his clients enjoying success in the show ring. At the 2008 Congress Brittany Boyd and Dont Skip My Charms were the Novice Amateur All Around Champions and Holly Hastings and Caught In My Zipper were the the Champions in Amateur Versatility Western Pleasure.

Ryan Painter is no stranger to the World Show season. He has 34 World Championships in the APHA Association and 4 at the AQHA World Show. He trains full time for Daranne Folino in Sun City California.

Reid attributes some of his success to applying some of his favorite quotes to his every day life. "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out" Robert Collier. "I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward" Thomas Edison.

And his favorite quote. "To love often and much...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Reid Thomas

We are confident that we will be seeing Reid Thomas and the Associates of Thomas Performance Horses in the winner's circle for many years to come.